Homeopathic Medicine: Does it work?

An old argument has broken out again with the British National Health Service (NHS) closing in on a decision to stop providing homeopathic medicines. It appears that a macro analysis of several large controlled trials has shown no significant effect. At the same time, it is recognized that a number of homeopathic hospitals were incorporated into the NHS at its founding in 1948 and homeopathy has always been a part of their practice. Proponents of this ‘alternative medicine’ point out that current spending is only around £4m a year – a very small part of the overall NHS budget of over £100bn – and that replacing homeopathic medicines with allopathic alternatives it would cost much more.

The basic principle of homeopathy is that a substance that can cause a symptom in a healthy person can suppress that same symptom in a sick person. The substance in question is prepared in aqueous solution and then diluted tenfold in a process known as titration. Repeated titrations reduce the concentration of the active agent to levels that are almost impossible to detect by chemical analysis. Conventional physicians claim that these concentration levels have no biochemical effect, but homeopathic practitioners maintain that repeated titration improves efficacy.

Proponents of homeopathy share the great enthusiasm for their practice that is found with all practitioners of alternative medical systems, from acupuncture to hypnosis. His arguments are persuasive and many ordinary people are willing to be persuaded. However, when the scientific evidence of efficacy is questioned, most turn to anecdotes of specific spectacular successes, and data from controlled trials of large numbers of people are never mentioned. Another worrying feature of alternative medical systems is that their proponents tend to support each other, accepting each other’s anecdotal evidence. The layman must ask himself, can everyone be right?

Alternative medicines have a long history and their proponents claim that this proves their effectiveness; if they didn’t work, would they still be practiced? However, research has shown that around ninety percent of all conditions are cured within a few days by the human body’s own defense mechanism, so it is inevitable that any doctor can boast of a high success rate, even if you have never studied medicine. This is the reason why so many so-called charlatans often practice for several years before being detected. Medical systems must be judged by the small percentage of cases that are otherwise incurable and here conventional practice has an established track record of statistically significant success in constant advance.

Even distilled water has been repeatedly shown to have a beneficial effect in suppressing symptoms. This ‘placebo effect’ needs to be carefully ruled out in controlled trials by not telling participants whether they receive the placebo or the active ingredient. When the persuasive power of a sympathetic and enthusiastic practitioner is added to a placebo, good results can certainly be achieved, but is homeopathy more than this?